Read scores twice, Flyers down Sabres 4-1

Philadelphia Flyers' Claude Giroux, from left, Mark Streit, of Switzerland, Vincent Lecavalier and Jay Rosehill celebrate after Lecavalier's goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 4-1. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Flyers' Matt Read, top, celebrates after scoring a goal past Buffalo Sabres' Ryan Miller during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers had plenty of help Thursday night from a Buffalo Sabres team that seems to have no problem giving All-Star goalie Ryan Miller all kinds of space. Problem was, the Flyers weren’t taking advantage of all the room afforded them in the Buffalo defensive zone.

Making matters worse was a Flyers power play that couldn’t take advantage of anything and everything the sad-sack Sabres were giving them, flopping on two two-man advantages while falling behind early. All that was rendered moot, however, by a recently formed Flyers checking line that would wind up stealing the show on both ends of the ice.

Matt Read scored two goals off impressive set-ups by Steve Downie, allowing the Flyers to survive their meeting with the NHL’s worst team and go on to a 4-1 victory at Wells Fargo Center.

Downie, the recently returned Flyer with the reputation for taking penalties ... hasn’t been. What he’s been doing instead is turning Read back into a goal-scorer and helping Sean Couturier get involved offensively. That’s a challenge, but Downie has increasingly been making a difference.

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The Flyers’ lack of power play moxie early on set the stage for a power play goal by Buffalo’s Tyler Myers at 18:28 of the first period, beating Ray Emery to give the Sabres (5-18-1) their first lead at the first intermission.

Since the referees were trying to set whistle-blowing records, more special teams chances would be forthcoming. But that Flyers checking line wasn’t about to wait around for them.

Couturier, Read and Downie kicked into forechecking mode against a Buffalo defense that was almost impossibly invisible all game long. Crashing into the zone, they started cashing in.

First, Couturier got behind the net and fired a pass to Downie, who returned fire into the slot to Read. His slap from a one-knee position beat Miller for a game-tying goal 14:09 into the second period.

Just 1:40 later, Couturier forechecked to the Buffalo blue line and promptly jabbed the puck away from Henrik Tallinder, getting it to Downie in the process. Without wasting a second, Downie backhanded a pass to Read, who was camped all alone in front of Miller.

Read had all the time required to pick a spot behind the defenseless Sabres goalie and make it a 2-1 Flyers lead.

A Claude Giroux penalty in the period’s final minute offered the Sabres a chance to get back in it at the start of the third, but the Flyers easily killed that off. Not long afterward, referees Jon McIsaac and Marc Joannette just warming up, the Flyers had another power play chance and this time they made it pay.

Offered no resistance from the Sabres, Vinny Lecavalier fired two rocket shots. One went wide, the next one came almost right back to him — but after it had shot past Miller and into the net for a 3-1 lead. Scott Hartnell would subsequently add an empty net goal.

And so the good times continue for the once-desperate Flyers (9-10-2). They’ve gone six games since their last regulation loss, and in reaching 20 points on this suddenly not-so bad first quarter of the season have bumped up some spots in the Metropolitan Division standings.